The invention relates to a fastening system for panels, with retaining profiles arranged at the narrow sides of the panels, in particular for floor panels, wherein mutually opposite retaining profiles of a panel match each other in such a way that similar panels can be fastened to one another, wherein at least one pair of oppositely disposed retaining profiles has complementary hook elements that can be hooked one into the other and that the hook elements have hook projections with retaining surfaces by which the panels, in the assembled condition, are held against each other in such a way that there is a gap-free floor surface.
A fastening system of the general kind set forth is known from EP 0 715 037 A1. FIGS. 1 and 2 of that publication propose a fastening system whose hook elements can be fitted one into the other by a joining movement perpendicular to the panel laying plane. As can be very clearly seen from FIG. 1 of that publication the connection is very well secured by positive engagement against detachment in the plane of the panels and perpendicularly to the locked longitudinal edge, but the connection is particularly easy to release in its joining direction perpendicularly to the plane in which the panels are laid. In the arrangement of EP 0 715 037 A1 that problem arises for example if a soft underlay for damping the sound of footsteps is provided between the base and the panels. If only that panel whose hook elements are towards the base are loaded in the proximity of a joint, it moves downwardly into the soft underlay for damping the sound of footsteps and moves out of the hooking engagement with the associated hook element of the adjacent panel which is not loaded.
In a flat assembly comprising a very large number of individual panels, a problem, which arises, is that of re-engaging a hook connection once it has come undone because the hook element that is associated with the base cannot be urged upwardly as it is not accessible.
The durability of the connection, particularly in the direction of the perpendicular joining movement, is therefore completely inadequate.